Norristown's Court Order Grille isn't just for lunch anymore

Posing with a sampling of breakfast orders at the Court Order Grille are L-R Jay Kowal, Tammy Kowal, Marina Haney and Standing: Pete Bakalidis March 6, 2013. The Norristown eatery is now serving up breakfast. Photo by Gene Walsh / Times Herald Staff

NORRISTOWN — It’s like Jay Kowal heard the early morning sounds of grumbling bellies echoing through the corridors of justice across the street and decided it was high time to start feeding them.

After all, his Court Order Grille had developed quite a following since the doors opened in the former Planet Hoagie last May.

All those regulars who were happily gobbling up the eatery’s motto “you’ve been served” at lunchtime were hopefully hungering to start their day with a hearty breakfast at the cozy café on the corner of Swede and Airy streets.

“I knew I wanted to eventually serve breakfast but I didn’t want to be overwhelmed with having to do breakfast and lunch right away when we opened,” said Kowal, barely visible sitting behind the towering turkey club he had planted on the table for his visitor. “But I think the time is right to jump in with breakfast and I think people will like it.”

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What’s not to like when the meal long touted as the most important of the day is comforting, cheap and filling?

You can go light and over easy with eggs any style, plus toast and home fries ($3.75), right up to a colossal omelet ($4 to $6.50); tall stack of pancakes ($3.50); French toast ($4.50) or the grand-slamming “Guilty as Charged,” guaranteed to deliciously fill any bottomless pit of a stomach, with two eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage, pancakes or French toast and — we’re not finished yet — that Pennsylvania Dutch delicacy, scrapple ($8.75.)

Full breakfasts are served until 11 a.m., but breakfast sandwiches are available all day.

As with the lunch menu, delivery is available to the courthouse and offices in the immediate area.

But stepping into the bright, clean and cheerful corner oasis for your morning repast isn’t a bad idea either when you can be greeted by the lovely face of a youngish Ann-Margret smiling back at you.

The show business legend graces Kowal’s rather extensive collection of autographed photos of stars he met while working as a security guard at the old Valley Forge Music Fair in Devon, which he was eager to share with his customers.

It’s his way of bringing a touch of that Big Apple deli vibe to Norristown, Kowal said.

“When you go to New York, so many places have all these autographed pictures all over the walls and I liked the idea of having that here, with our Reuben sandwiches and things like that.”

Joining Ann-Marget in the gallery are such mainstays of the long gone venue as Connie Francis, George Jones, Johnny Cash, the Four Tops and the Temptations.

Glancing at the colorful “Camelot” poster hanging by the Swede Street window you can practically hear the baritone voice of Music Fair matinee king Robert Goulet ringing out with “If Ever I Would Leave You.”

“I knew whenever I opened my own place I would want to get all these pictures out of the boxes and hang them,” said Kowal, who comes by his chief-cook-and-bottle-washer pedigree quite naturally, with his dad, Jack Kowal of Bridgeport Council, having once owned Jack’s Place in Swedesburg.

The corner spot in the bustling courthouse zone was ideal for the type of breakfast and lunch spot Kowal had in mind, but he’s less than sunny side up when it comes to the Borough’s handling of the parking situation.

“I wish the Norristown Borough would help the small businesses out with the parking but they don’t seem anxious to do that,” he said, citing an exasperating scenario involving a prime parking spot directly in front of his place.

“They took the meter out to be repaired and there was open parking for two weeks, but I heard the meter didn’t come back right away, so after two weeks they put up a ‘no parking’ sign and if you parked there you got a $28 ticket,” he said. “It’s a public street but because they weren’t making money on the meter they closed the spot down.”

Come spring, diners can enjoy the sort of “Citation” – an apropos name given to the COG turkey hoagie — they enjoy, with outdoor seating, when the eatery goes al fresco.

“When the weather is nice, I know people like to eat outside, so I’m happy to offer that,” Kowal said.